Clutch for sewing machines



Dec. 21, 1943. V LEVEQUE 2,337,115

CLUTCH FOR SEWING MACHINES Origixial Filed June 17, 1941 S SheetS-Sheet 1 13% B. T. LEVEQUE 2,337,115

CLUTCH "FOR smwme MACHINES Original Filed June 17, 1941 s sneexs-sneetz Dec. 21, 1943. B. TQLEVEQUE CLUTCH FCR SEWING MACHINES Original Filed'June 17-. 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 21, 1943 CLUTCH FOR SEWING MACHINES Bernard T. Leveque, Wenham, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Original application June 17, 1941, Serial No.

398,368. Divided and this application Decemher 29, 1942, Serial No. 470,465

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in manually controlled driving mechanisms primarily for use with high speed shoe sewing machines and is hereinafter described as embodied in a sewing machine of the type disclosed in inventors application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 398,368, filed June 1'7, 1941, of

which the present application is a division.

The machine disclosed in the application above referred to is a shoe sewing machine designed to operate on sole leather and is provided with a -straight needle and an awl operating from opposite sides of the work. In sewing certain parts of a shoe, it is desirable to slow down the machine to a more moderate speed in order to facilitate proper manipulation of the shoe in preenting it to the machine. Along other parts of the shoe, the machine may be speeded up.

The usual practice in machines of this type is to drive the machine with a treadle controlled clutch, the frictional driving force and conse- 'a central clutch actuating pin or plunger at the end of the sewing shaft on which the clutch is mounted, the plunger being so mounted that end- Wise movement will increase or decrease the frictional driving force of the clutch. Where a continuous driving belt for the clutch is employed with this form of clutch controlling connection,

it is impossible to remove or replace the belt without first dismounting the clutch actuating lever.

In this type of machine also, a hand wheel, in

addition to the clutch, ordinarily is mounted on the sewing shaft. Where a driving belt of any nature is employed, the hand wheel is preferably mounted at the extreme end of the shaft outside the clutch and driving pulley over which the belt passes so that the operator, in reaching for the wheel, will be guarded from contact with the moving belt. If clutch controlling connections including a clutch actuating lever outside the 'hand wheel and clutch actuating pin at the end of the shaft are employed, these connections not only take up excessive space and are unsightly in appearance, but also present a dangerous condition for the operator whenever the hand wheel is used. If the clutch lever extends into proximity with the hand wheel, there is an opportunity for injury to the operators hand between "the hand wheel and clutch lever, Also, the connections must be lubricated frequently to prevent wear and to insure proper control of the clutch. If the clutch controlling connections are solocated as to come into contact with the hand of the operator while manipulating the hand wheel, even though ther is small opportunity of physical injury, the excessive lubrication and foreign materials collected thereby may adhere to the operators hand and be transferred to the work being performed, with detrimental results.

The machine of the application is intended to be operated at speeds higher than those ordinarily employed for this type of work and to provide proper lubrication, substantially all of the operating parts in the machine are enclosed by an oil retaining casing which constitutes the machine frame. Lubrication is supplied continuously during operation of th machine within the casing in the form of spray or drip jets.

The object of the present invention is to provide for a shoe sewing or other machine, a novel and improved driving mechanism including a clutch which may be controlled conveniently by a foot treadle or other manually operated connections without the necessity of external levers or other exposed or unsightly moving parts, the location of which will prevent application or removal of a driving belt to the clutch pulley or constitute an operational hazard. Another object is to provide a clutch for a sewing machine 'having for a frame an oil retaining hollow casing, so arranged that the clutch actuating connections may be located out of the way within the casing while a hand wheel on the sewing shaft and a clutch pulley for a driving belt are conveniently located in easily accessible position outside'the casing.

With these and other objects in View, the present invention contemplates the provision in a sewing or other type machine of 'a sewing shaft passing from withinthe frame or casing of the machine and terminating externally of the frame with a bearing passing through the frame, a driving clutch on the sewing shaft outside the frame, and means inside the frame for actuating the driving and driven members of the clutch towards and from each other comprising a drum slidable in the frame" for rotatably supporting the driving member separat from the sewing shaft bearing and an actuating stud connected to the drum passing through the frame at one side of the sewing shaft. By such construction,- the actuating stud may be mounted to slide in the frame with the drum and to move the'driving and driven members ofthe clutch towards and ated connections.

vface of the driving member ID. driving and driven members from each other without necessitating a break in a wall of the frame through which oil might escape. As a convenient means for disengaging the clutch, the actuating stud is surrounded by a spring tending to urge the driving member away from the driven member of the clutch. Preferably more than one stud connected to the drum is employed and the treadle connections which are arranged inside the oil retaining machine frame or casing are constructed to press the studs simultaneously, thereby causing the driving and driven members of the clutch to be engaged with uniform pressures throughout their active areas.

Other features of the invention are embodied in certain constructions, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation looking from the right of a machine embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation, partly broken away and in section, of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section taken through the main sewing shaft of the machine at its rearward end illustrating a portion of the driving mechanism with the parts in stopped positions.

The sewing machine illustrated in the drawings is a chainstitch straight hook needle machine having an awl 2 operating from above and the needle, indicated at 4, from below the work. The stitch forming devices of the machine are driven from a main sewing shaft 6 through cranks, pitmans and suitable connections between the stitch forming devices and the sewing shaft, as in the machine of the application above identified. To facilitate lubricating the machine, the operating and driving mechanisms are entirely enclosed by an oil retaining hollow supporting frame or casing 8 having an overhanging arm 9, within which frame are oiling means including an oil pressure pump and spray and drip delivery jets (not shown).

Rotation of the sewing shaft 6 is controlled by a friction driving clutch constructed to provide slippage and easy variation of sewing speed, depending upon the force applied to treadle actu- Referring more particularly to Fig. 3 of the drawings, the driving clutch is of simple and conveniently accessible construction having a cone-shaped driving member I!) provided with a groove to receive a driving belt (not shown). The driving clutch member is rotatably mounted on a bearing [2 supported on the tubular portion of a cylindrical drum [4 slidably mounted in a close fitting circular recess surrounding the sewing shaft 6 at one end of the machine frame 8. To prevent displacement of the driving clutch member alon the tubular portion of the drum 14, the driving clutch member has a radial flange l8 extending inwardly towards the tubular portion of the drum and the tubular portion has clamped to it outside the flange of the driving member a collar 8.

The driven clutch member comprises a hand wheel keyed to the sewing shaft 6 having an internal conical surface complementing the sur- To hold the of the clutch separated, the cylindrical drum I4 is urged within the recess of the frame, as illustrated in Fig. 3,

by a pair of compression springs 22 coiled around headed studs 24 passing loosely through openings in the machine frame at the sides of the sewing shaft and having their ends secured in the drum [4, the springs 22 being compressed between heads on the studs 24 and the machine frame.

To press the driving member Ii! against the driven member 20 of the clutch, suitable treadle actuated connections are provided for controlling the clutch. These include a vertical treadle rod 23, a spring 28 (see Figs. 1 and 2) for raising the rod when released by the operator, an arm 30 secured to one end of a rock shaft 32 (Fig. 2) mounted in bearings on the machine frame in transverse spaced relation to the sewing shaft 6. The rock shaft 32 has clamped to it a pair of arms 34 engaging the heads of the studs 24 simultaneously when the treadle rod is depressed, pressing the studs and drum towards the right of Fig. 3 and bringing the friction surfaces of the clutch members together. One advantage of this construction is in the absence of any clutch actuating connections or clutch supporting bearing external of the machine frame in such a position as to interfere with removal or replacement of the driving belt on the grooved driving clutch member it).

In clutches of machines of a similar nature heretofore constructed, a clutch actuating lever has been provided with one end disposed close to a clutch actuating pin in the exposed end of the sewing shaft or in contact with the outer surface of the driven clutch member so that in order to remove a driving belt on the driven clutch member, the lever must be disconnected or the ends of the belt separated. With the present construction, removal of the driving belt is greatly simplified since no obstruction is offered. Furthermore, the driving clutch member ID is supported for rotation entirely by the sleeve on the cylindrical drum I i, no rotational force being transmitted, when the machine is stopped, by the driving clutch member to the sewing shaft 6 which has a separate bearing 36 in the machine frame. Also, oil within the frame 8 of the present machine may constantly be supplied to the sewing shaft and treadle controlling connections while being kept fro-m the clutching surfaces and all of the treadle controlling connections inside the machine frame are protected against injury and the operator guarded from accidental contact therewith.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated, and a particular embodiment of the invention having been specifically described, what is claimed is:

1. A machine of the shoe sewing type having, in combination, a frame, a sewing shaft passing from within the frame with its end external to the frame, a bearing for the sewing shaft in the frame, a driving clutch surrounding the sewing shaft external to the frame including a driving member rotatable with respect to the sewing shaft, a driven member secured to the shaft, and means within the frame for actuating the driving and driven members towards and from each other comprising a drum slidable in the frame having a bearing for supporting the driving member separate from the shaft bearing, and a stud connected to the drum passing through the frame at one side of the sewing shaft.

2. A machine of the shoe sewing type having,

in combination, a frame, a sewing shaft passing from within the frame with its end external to the frame, a bearing for the sewing shaft in the frame, a driving clutch surrounding the sewing shaft external to the frame including a driving member rotatable with respect to the sewing shaft, a driven member secured to the shaft, and means Within the frame for actuating the driving and driven members towards and from each other comprising a drum slidably mounted in the frame and a tubular portion on the drum for supporting a bearing for the driving member, a stud connected to the drum passing through the frame at one side of the sewing shaft, and a spring acting on the stud to cause the driving member to be urged away from the driven member.

3. A machine of the shoe sewing type having, in combination, a frame, a sewing shaft passing from within the frame with its end external to the frame, a bearing for the sewing shaft in the frame, a driving clutch surrounding the sewing shaft external to the frame including a driving member rotatable with respect to the sewing shaft, a driven member secured to the shaft, and means within the frame for actuating the driving and driven members towards and from each other comprising a drum slidably mounted in the frame and a tubular portion on the drum for supporting a bearing for the driving member, a plurality of studs connected to the drum passing through the frame at the sides of the sewing shaft, springs coiled around the studs to urge the driving member away from the driven member, and means inside the frame for pressing the studs simultaneously against the forces of the springs to cause the driving member to engage the driven member of the clutch.

4. A machine of the shoe sewing type having, in combination, a frame, a sewing shaft passing from within the frame with its end external to the frame, a bearing for the sewing shaft in the frame, a driving clutch surrounding the sewing shaft external to the frame including a driving member rotatable with respect to the sewing shaft, a driven member secured to the shaft comprising a hand wheel on the shaft, a clutch driving pulley formed on the driving member of the clutch between the hand wheel and the machine frame, and means within the frame for actuating the driving and driven members towards and from each other comprising a drum slidable in the frame having a bearing for supporting the driving member separate from the shaft bearing,

and a stud connected to the drum passing through the frame at one side of the sewing shaft.

5. A machine of the shoe sewing type having, in combination, a frame, a sewing shaft passing from within the frame with its end external to the frame, a bearing for the sewing shaft in the frame, a driving clutch surrounding the sewing shaft external to the frame including a driving member rotatable with respect to the sewing shaft, a driven member secured to the shaft, and means within the frame for actuating the driving and driven members towards and from each other comprising a drum slidably mounted in the frame and a tubular portion on the drum for supporting a bearing for the driving member, a plurality of studs connected to the drum passing through the frame at the sides of the sewing shaft, springs coiled around the studs to urge the driving member away from the driven member, a treadle actuated rock shaft inside the frame, and arms on the rock shaft for engaging the studs simultaneously when the rock shaft is operated to press the studs and driving member of the clutch towards the driven clutch member.

6. A machine of the shoe sewing type having, in combination, a frame, a sewing shaft passing from within the frame with its end external to the frame, a bearing for the sewing shaft in the frame, a driving clutch surrounding the sewing shaft external to the frame including a driving member rotatable with respect to the sewing shaft, a driven member secured to the shaft, and means within the frame for actuating the driving and driven members towards and from each other comprising a drum slidably mounted in the frame and a tubular portion on the drum for supporting a bearing for the driving member, a plurality of headed studs connected to the drum passing through the frame at the sides of the sewing shaft, springs coiled around the studs to urge the driving member away from the driven member and compressed between the frame and heads of the studs, a treadle actuated rock shaft inside the frame, and arms on the rock shaft for engaging the heads of the studs simultaneously when the rock shaft is operated to press the studs and driving member of the clutch towards the driven member.

BERNARD T. LEVEQUE. 

